Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

"Your Highness, it is indeed a few trivial matters concerning the northern border defenses, which His Majesty inquired about." Lin Feng bowed, not wanting to say more.

Princess Pingyang gave him a deep look and said in a low voice, "The northern border is dangerous, and the capital is not an easy place either. Grand Commander, please be careful in everything you do. I... heard that Consort Liu went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager the other day, and in her words, she seemed to have some reservations about the Grand Commander. And my third brother... although he has been staying at home lately, the people in his residence and several generals in charge of troops seem to be visiting each other more frequently."

Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I will certainly be careful."

Princess Pingyang nodded, seemingly wanting to say something more, but ultimately simply took out a small object wrapped in a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to Lin Feng. "This... is a talisman blessed by a high monk from the Great Xiangguo Temple. It is said to ward off evil spirits and ensure peace. The Grand Commander should keep it with him." The silk handkerchief carried her faint, sweet fragrance.

Lin Feng looked at the amulet, then at the princess before him, a woman of noble birth who had repeatedly helped him in secret and whose affections were gradually becoming apparent, and a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

He accepted it with both hands, its surface warm to the touch: "Thank you for your generous gift, Your Highness. I, Lin Feng, will forever remember your kindness."

A faint blush rose on Princess Pingyang's face. Without saying another word, she nodded slightly to him, turned around, and gracefully left.

It was already late when they returned to the Grand Commander's Mansion. Bai Xiaohe and Chen Heng were already waiting for them in the study.

"Commander, we've found it!" Chen Heng spoke first. "That brick kiln was bought for a high price two months ago. The buyer used an alias. Our men sneaked in at night and found that the kiln had been modified. There was a cellar with a lot of weapons, crossbows, and several boxes of silver hidden inside! But we didn't see anyone. It seems to be just a temporary warehouse or transit point."

"How's the watch on that guy collecting night soil going?"

"He returned to a large courtyard in the West Market and never came out again. The courtyard housed more than a dozen families, a mixed bag, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary at the moment."

"Okay, keep an eye on it. Don't touch anything in the brick kiln for now," Lin Feng instructed, then looked at Bai Xiaohe, "What about the mineralogists?"

"We've made some progress," Bai Xiaohe said. "We've found two people so far. One is an old scholar surnamed Xu. The other is a doctor from the Imperial Observatory, who is quite knowledgeable about the relationship between celestial phenomena, terrestrial energy, and minerals. In addition..."

She paused, then said, "I overheard that about half a year ago, a man with a northern accent, dressed as a merchant, visited Master Xu with a strange, crimson stone, asking about its origin and purpose. Master Xu seemed very interested and talked with the man for a long time, but afterwards he told his family that the stone was 'inauspicious' and asked them not to mention it again."

"Old Master Xu... a merchant with a northern accent... a crimson stone..." Lin Feng's spirits lifted. "Investigate immediately: who is that northern merchant? Where is he now? Also, find a way to find out the specific details of that stone and what he meant by 'ominous' without alerting Old Master Xu."

"yes!"

"Also, investigate whether there are indeed any veins of that 'hot-tempered, ignitable' crimson crystal near Fulong Ridge. If so, what is the status of mining there? Has it ever been controlled by the 'Crimson Abyss' or the Crimson Feather Tribe?"

At this moment, a guard delivered an unsigned letter. The letter contained only a few words:

"The brick kiln in the West Market is bait. Tomorrow at noon, 'Grey Falcon' will meet Liu Mang in the pine forest behind the 'White Cloud Temple' in the south of the city. 'Wind and Rain Pavilion' shows this."

It's "Wind and Rain Tower"! That mysterious intelligence organization! They actually offered crucial intelligence about the meeting between "Grey Falcon" and Liu Mang! Is this true or false? Is it a well-intentioned act of kindness, or another trap? Or perhaps... a case of using someone else to do their dirty work?

Lin Feng stared at the letter, and it seemed that all the various forces were beginning to surface.

Tomorrow at noon, behind Baiyun Temple... Should I go, or not?

He slowly lit the letter over the candle flame and watched it turn to ashes.

"Chen Heng, muster your men, select the most elite, and they will accompany me out of the city tomorrow. Xiao He, you stay behind and monitor the movements of all parties in the capital."

Whether it's a trap or an opportunity, he has to take the plunge. He can't let this chance slip by. As for "Wind and Rain Tower"... whether they're friend or foe, we'll soon find out.

Thirty li south of the city lies Baiyun Temple.

This Taoist temple is built against the mountain. Although it is not very popular, it is quiet and secluded. The back mountain is a dense pine forest, rarely visited by people, with only a winding path worn by pilgrims leading into the depths.

Lin Feng, along with Chen Heng and eight of the "Falcon Battalion's" top fighters, arrived quietly at dawn and dispersed to lie in ambush throughout the pine forest. Dressed in camouflage that blended with the colors of the withered grass and fallen leaves, they held their breath and remained focused, becoming one with the forest.

Time passed slowly. It was past 9 AM, then 11 AM... The sun rose higher, but the forest remained silent, save for the sounds of the wind and birdsong.

"Could the defenses be a trap? Or is the information wrong?" Chen Heng, who was lying not far from Lin Feng, was a little anxious.

"Keep calm." Lin Feng's gaze did not waver at all. He believed that an organization like "Wind and Rain Pavilion" would not speak without reason.

Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, at the end of the path, came the sound of light, deliberately quiet footsteps.

coming!

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. He saw two people walking one after the other from the depths of the pine forest, cautiously scanning their surroundings.

The person in front was tall and thin, wearing a gray cloak with the brim of the hat pulled low so that his face could not be seen, but he walked with light steps and landed silently, clearly possessing superb lightness skills.

The man behind him was much shorter and stockier, with a face full of scars and fierce eyes. He was none other than Liu Mang, the vice leader of the Black Tiger Gang! But at this moment, his face showed obvious panic and unease, and he kept looking around.

The man in gray stopped in the middle of the open space, and Liu Mang also stopped, keeping a few steps away from him.

"Lord Grey Falcon," Liu Mang swallowed hard, his voice dry, "Why...why did you choose this place? The situation is too tense. That killing god Lin Feng is searching the whole city. We..."

"Shut up." The gray-clad man known as "Grey Falcon" spoke, his voice hoarse and strange, as if deliberately altered. "I brought you here not to listen to your complaints. Where's the stuff?"

"Here...here." Liu Mang quickly pulled out a flat object wrapped in oilcloth from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

Grey Falcon took it, casually tucked it into his robes, and said coldly, "The West Market brick kiln has been exposed. Was it because your men were incompetent and leaked the news?"

Liu Mang's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down: "My lord, please see the truth! That brick kiln is extremely well-hidden; no more than five people know about it, and they are all old brothers who have followed me for many years! It must be... it must be that old Hu who collects night soil that has run into trouble! I... I've sent someone to 'take care of' it!"